I enjoyed this essay and took one idea from it to ponder––to achieve happiness, nurture your potentials. Then two celebrity suicides happened and I thought, “Well, they nurtured their potentials.” So, I think to understand happiness, I need to understand depression.

YMCA 🏋

Determined to get fit and be social this summer, Tatiana, Gabo, and I joined our local YMCA this week. I’m so out of shape, I feel like a cartoon character in the gym. But a kind trainer put me on a torturous program, so let’s see how I feel in two months.

Gabo jumps on things as part of his training.

Grill skills 🔥

I’m trying to get better at grilling this summer by mastering the heat of burning natural wood lump charcoal on one side of the grill. Those brats stayed on indirect heat for about 20 to 30 minutes. I’m trying two methods for that New York steak. One, direct heat to start and indirect heat to finish. Two, indirect heat to start and then direct heat to finish (the direct heat is lower at this time). The family says method two is the best, so far. Since onions taste delicious lightly grilled or burned, I haven’t felt compelled to define a method for them yet.

Brats, New York steak, and sweet onions on my grill.

Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you 🎸

Not long ago, I told someone that I’m tired of musicians taking themselves so seriously. Where is today’s Angus Young or Van Halen, I asked. Turns out they are in Norway! Check out Leo Moracchioli’s metal cover of “Africa.”

Tatiana danced beautifully all night long to cumbia, a dance born from slaves in Colombia who had to improvise slow, short, shuffling steps because their feet were bound with chains and shackles.

Tatiana dances cumbia at Wepa: Cumbia Roots Festival 2018 - YouTube

Cheers,

Tod

P.S. Thank you for helping me find my groove with this newsletter. I have enjoyed creating it and I believe I can do this weekly, so I’ll begin to invite more friends and family to view it. If you enjoy an issue or not, please let me know below. Many, many thanks!